Press



Sept. 6,Y 1932. M. H. BALLARD PRES S Original Filed Jan. 6. 1927 l .Enma

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 ffoNiTi-:D STATES cHINEnY CORPORATION, JERSEY Original Vapplication. led January 6,

This invention relates to improvements in presses and is a division' of my application Serial No. 159,433, filed January 6,1927. The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a clicking machine of the type set forth in United States Letters Patent `No. 921,503, granted May 11, 1909, on an application filed in the name of Arthur Bates. I

In the use of presses of vvariousvtyp'es it frequently happens that, .due to improper operation, a machine will become jammed in such manner that various Vof the operating parts are held under considerable pressure resulting from the action of sprung portions of the machine. Under such circumstances it `is very often diflicult to'release the parts 0f the machine without breaking them or without disconnecting other parts of the machine. For example, difficulties of this kind sometimes occur in connection with the operation of clicking machines of the type disclosed in the aforementioned United `States Letters Patent. Such machines commonly comprise a presser member arranged 4-for 'movement toward and'away `from a Work support in pressure applying operations, the presser member being mounted upon apost which in turn is secured by .meansof screw thread connections to a power operated spindle. It occasionally happens that in 'operating upon heavy material with suchV machines,4 the presser member becomes stalled upon the work support. WhensuOh asitu'ation arises, the post, spindle,Y and frame of the machinef are so sprungthat great pressure is asserted upon the screw thread connections ythus making it dihoult to release the parts in order thatthey can be returned to their normal'positionsl,

In view-,of the foregoing, one Object `of the invention isfto provide a clicking. machine of the type referred to in which the post will be secured to the `spindle in Such a way that the presser member can be moved withthe spindle in the usual manner, but at the same time can be readily released when desired even if the machine is stalled in the. manner above mentioned.

Q One feature of the invention consists in the provision of improved means for secur ing together thepost and spindle of ama# MILTON 11.7EALLA'ED, OF BEvERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE To UNITED SHOE ivrA- OEIrATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW TEESS 1927, serial'No. 159,433'. Divided and thisv applicati@ inea Novenibei` '17, 1931. serial No. 575,674.v Y Y v l chine of the type referred to and comprising i a retaining member `positioned between surf faces of the post and spindle, respectively, I

the member being so formed thata relatively slight movement of the member in a. direction to effect release ofpressure exerted upon the surfaces will result in the` disconnection of the post and spindle. Preferably,-the retaining member, which asY illustrated is in the form of a wedge normally positionedhbe-v tween clampingsurfaces of the spindle and post, comprises bearing surfaces one of which is so curved relativelyto the other bearing lsurface that a slight movement of the wedge in the pressure releasing direction will, by increasing the effective angle of the wedge beyond that at which friction will hold the wedge in position, result in the forcing out of the wedge.:` In operation the wedge is'p'referably driveninto a position in which'the holding power ofthe wedge is slightly more than enough tov hold the post and spindle together withoutr'slipping under the action of the spindle in moving the post.`

When it Ais ydesirable'to release the` spindle from'the post, the wedge is driven a' slight distance inthe oppositel direction. vAsthe wedge moves outwardly the effective angle ofthefwedge immediately becomes steeper so that the friction between the engaging surfaces is insufficient to Vprevent slipping and the reaction of the sprung-parts inthe ma- Y to its adaptability foruse in clicking ma? chines of the 'above-mentioned type, it will be understood that in variousV respects the invention is not limited `to embodiment in such machines. i

Other features of be pointed out in the claims. A, In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly 1n Section y H the invention will: be v i described inthe detailed description and will of a machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the clamping device and wedge; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp.V ing device and wedge.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a clicking machine which comprises (see Fig. 1) a frame 10 supporting a shaft 12 for operating a crank 14 to produce a reciprocating movement of a shaft or spindle 16 in a vertical direction. Operatively con-n Y .nected .to the upper end of the spindle .16 is a post 18 mounted in frame bearings 19 forY vertical sliding movement with the spindle i upon, the presser member 2O is movable lat erall-y .over `the cutting bed. To this end, for supporting the post 18 rotativelyon the spindle 16 the latter is provided with a Vsleeve 24V .slidably mounted thereon andresting upon 1a bearing 26 supported by a vcollar on .the

spindle 16. 'Vr-llhepost 18 is connected to the sleeve by screw threads .30 and is movable up or down relatively to thespi-nd'le 16 as the sleeve 24 is rotated by means of a hand wheel 32 which is keyed to the sleeve 24 and rests upon a sleeve 34 which bears upon. the

upper end of the sleeve 24 and surrounds the upper portion lof the post'18. The construe* vtion s'o far described is like the construction of corresponding parts Adescribed in United `States Letters Patent No. 1,431,920, .granted .October 17., 1922, upon an, applicationfiled in my name, to which reference'inay be had for a more detailed description of parts not fully-,herein disclosed.v Y

AInordervto clamp the `sleeve 24 between `the collar 28 and lthe -end ofthe spindle 16 to secure thepost 18 to the spindle for vertical `movementtherewith to'force the presser towardand from a dieon the material tovbe died-out, the spindle 16 is provided `at its up` per end with screw threads '35,upon'which is :mounted a nut 36 (best shown in Figs.y 2 and Vcarrying a wrist pin 38, held against ,rotation'by `a set-screw 40,'upon which is rotatably mounted a pair of shoes 42 .extending on f opposite sides 4of the spindle, the latter'being cut away to form flat bearing .surfaces 44 at the end of the spindle.V The shoes 42 are retained upon the wrist pin 38 by fcotter pins 43. The lower surfaces of the shoes 42 are curved to conform to curved surfaces of a retaining f member comprising a wedge 46 which is lpositioned between the shoes 42 and a bushing 48 resting upon the upper end of the sleeve 24.

The wedge 46 comprises upstanding side plates positioned adj acent'to the surfaces 44 on oppositefsides ofthe nut 36, a plate 52 connecting the side plates atone end thereof and an abutment 54 connected by lugs 56 to the plates 50 being provided at the other end.

The lower surfaces ofthe plates 50 areV flatV and rest upon the bushing 48 which is cut Y away at 49 to provide bearing 4surfaces for Athe plates. The curved upper surfaces 58 of the plates 50 lierin the periphery of an imaginary cylinder positioned with its aXis per-V .2 and 3, the :surfaces 58 inclinendownwardly from Ithe end plate 52 toward the right, the inclination beingmuch steeper as theabutment 54 is approached. Itis to'be noted that, since the bearing surfaces ofthe shoes 42 andthe i vcurved surfaces of the wedge and shoes 'in engagement throughout the length of the bearngsurfaces of the' shoes. Thusl `any ltendency-of :the shoes to 'gouge 'the surfaces 58 of the wedge is eliminated.

The wrist pin 38 lis providedwithraslot 60 'in which is inserted one end of astifl' spring 6 2, the other .end of which extends downwardly into contact with a pin 64 carried by one ofthe wedge plates 50. The Aarral1-gement is suc'hthat thev spring 62 tends to move the wedge l46 inwardly between the lshoes 42 and the bushing y48 (Fig. 3)"until all Vparts of the lower 'surfaces of the shoes 42 bea-r upon the upper surfaces 58 of thev wedge. Y

' The wedge 4'6 is provided with a set-screw 66 extendingthroughthe end plate 52 and 1 arranged for contact withthe bushing 48.

By adjustment of the set-screw 66 the inward movement ofthe wedge 46 between theshoes 42 and the bushing 48 under the actionof spring 62 can be limited as desired in order to 'vary the operative position of the wedgeV with respect tothe shoes 42. A-lock nut 68 vis provided for securing the 4set-screw 66 in adjusted position. V

Inror-der to take upthe play between the shoes 42 and the wedge 46, with the lspindle 16 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the nut 36 is adjusted 'uponthe screw threads 35 in a direction to move the wrist pin 38 toward the'wedge in its innermost or operative position fora given adjustment ofthe screw 66, until the shoes 42 can be rotated a slight amount only, some playl being desirable in order that ythe spring 62 can returnl the wedge to its operative positionafter the pendicularto the plates. As shown in Figsj.8O

wedge has been forced out. A set-screw provides means for securing the nut 36 inadjusted position. i A.

The arrangement of parts just described is such that the wedge 46 operates as a transmitting member for the pressure exerted upon pressure members comprising the bushing 48 and shoes 42 by the spindle 16 in moving the presser member 20. This pressure acts substantially in a perpendicular plane .through the axis of the wrist pin 38.

The angularity of curved surfaces 58 relatively to the flat surface `of the wedge increases from the abutment 54 to the end wall 52, as shown in Fig.'2, so that the angleof the wedge varies lengthwise thereof. Thus the wedge is equivalent to a plurality of flat wedges of different wedge angles,fand, disregarding for the moment the action of the shoes 42, the wedge anglev which vis effective at any given time is determined by the angularity of the portions of the surfaces to which pressure is applied. Forfexample, if pressure be applied to the bottom of the wedge and to the upper portions of surfaces 58 near the .end wall 52, the effective angle, that is, the angle between the bottom of the wedge and a plane tangent to surfaces 58 at the line of intersection with the plane in which pres# sure is applied to the surfaces, will be comparatively small. However, `if pressure is applied to surfaces 58 near the abutment 54, the effective angle will be comparatively large. In the illustrated machine downward i pressure is applied to t-he wedge substantially in a fixed vertical plane, through action of spindle 16, with the result that the effective angle of the wedge will be determined by the position of the wedge relatively to that plane and also upon the angularity of the shoes`` 42 which are so movable on wrist pin 38 that the central portions of the bearing surfaces of the shoes will be located slightly to the left or right of that plane, depending upon the l portion of the wedge surfaces engaging the 1 shoes.

Since the bearingsurfaces .of the shoes 42 are'curved to correspond to the cur- .vature ofthe wedge, consecutive .portions thereof will engage different consecutive portions of the surfaces 58 extending at various angles to the flat bottom of the wedge., However, the resultant of the pressure applied to surfaces 58 will act upon the wedge surface within the limits of the bearing surfaces'of f the shoes, and, consequently, more specifically stated, the effective angle of the wedge will be theA angle included between the flat bottom surface of the'wedge and a plane tangent to thc surfaces 58 at points somewhere along the curve of the engaging portions of the wedge and shoes. Thus, when the anglesbetween the flat surface of the wedgeand those portions of the surfaces 58 engaged by the shoes are small, the effectiveangle ofthe wedge will be small and viceversa, Thisshould be clear froml an .inspection of Fig. 2in whichthe wedge in its innermost position with the shoes resting upon flat portions of the curve is indicated `by dotted lines, and in which the wedge in a position in gwhich thershoes rest in full lines.

lo upon steeper portions of the1curve 1s sho-wn The effect of friction between the wedge and the bushingY 48 issubstantially constant for Y given forces acting upon the wedge,` but' the friction between the curved surfaces 58 of the wedge` and the shoes 42 resulting'fromthe action :of the components ofthe forces uponl the shoes whichact normal tothe surfaces 58 will depend upon the eifectiverangle, of thewedge as determined by the :angularity of the por,- tions ofthe wedge surfaces engaged. vThe forces acting normally to the curved surfacesl and tending to hold the` wedge and shoes together vary approximately as'the cosine-of the esV effective wedge angle.- Thusthe normal force, p

tive angle is such that the friction between the wedge and its Y bearing surfaces is slightly more than sufiicient to preventthe forcing out f of the wedge under the action ofthe doWn-. ward movement of the spindle.

- In the normal operation of the machine the pressuretransmitting member 4on wedge `46 s serves as a retaining member positioned be-` tweenthe `clamping surfaces of the shoes` 42 and the bushing v48 to secure the ,sleeve 24 against movement longitudinallyy of `the spins dle A16 thus to insure movement of the post 18 and presser member 2O withl the'spindlel in pressure-applying operations upon: material' supportedv on the bed-22. i

In operating upon heavy or `thick material, especially when adielisv positioned upon V,the work near the extremityY of the presser member, .it sometimes `happens* that the presser member does not complete'its lopera-A the wedge so that the various parts can be returned to their normal positions, the wedge is forced out bystriking against the abut-l ment 54. It'is necessary to movelthe wedge a small distance only for the'reason that as it commences to move out the effective angle of the wedge almost immediately becomes steeper than theV critical angle at which the wedge will beheld in position by friction, and the wedge is automatically forced out by the pressure storedlup in the sprung parts,

said parts returning at once to their normal positions. They shaft l2 can then be rotated f to raise'the spindle 1 6. As rthe spindle rises,

` wardly until it is again in its normal operative position. It is to be noted that nov adjustment of the lparts is necessary after the release ofthe wedge. v

' Having described my invention, what I 'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a press, a bedfor supporting work to be operated upon, a post having a'presser member mounted thereon' in spaced relation to the bed, a spindle foroperating the post, a member located on the spindle and arranged adjustably to engage theupper end ofthe post, clamping means carried near the upper end of the spindle, and a wedge insertabl'e between the clamping means and said member for releasably securing the postto the spindle.

2. In a machine for performingpressureapplying operations, a work-supporting bed,

- a post having a presser member mounted lat thereon in .spaced relation to the bed, a spindle for operating the post, a member 1 mounted'on the spindle for supporting the post, a clamping membercarried by the upper end of the spindle, and a ywedge positioned between the'post-supporting member and the clampingmember releasably to secure the post to the spindle, the bearing surfaces of therwedge being so formed that the effective angle of the `wedge Ais variable according to the distance which the wedge is inserted between the clamping member and the post-supporting member. 'l 3. In a machine for performing pressureapplyingl operations, a work-supporting bed, a post having av presser member mounted thereon in spaced yrelation to the bed, a

. spindle for operating the post, 'a' sleeve mounted on the spindle for supp'ortingthe post, Va clamping member carried bythe spindle, and a wedge adapted for insertion between the clamping member and sleeve for securing the post to the spindle, the wedge being so shaped that a relatively small movement of the wedge ina direction to release pressure exerted by the clamping member will resultY in the releaseof the wedge. a 4f. In a machine for performing pressureapplying operations, a work-supporting bed,

' a post having a presser member mounted thereon in spaced relation toy the bed, a spin'- dle foroperating the post, a sleeve mounted onV the. spindle for supporting the-post, a clamping member'carried by the'spindle, a wedge adapted for insertion betweenv the clamping memberand sleeve for securing the post to the spindle, the wedge being so shaped that a Irelatively small movement of the wedge in a direction to release. pressure `ex,-Y

erted by the clamping member will result in the release of the wedge, and means for forcing the wedge inwardly between the clamping member and sleeve. l v i 5. In a machine for performing pressureapplying operations, a work-supporting bed, a post having a presser member mounted thereon in spaced relation to the bed, a spindle for operating the post, a member mounted on the f spindle for supporting .the post, a clamping member carried by the spindle, and a wedgek positioned between the post-supporting member Aand the clamping member, the wedge having a curved bearing surface for engaging a correspondingly curved surface ofthe clamping member releasably to secure the post to the spindle,the construction and arrangement being such that the effective angle of the wedge is variable so that a slight movement'of'the wedge in a direction to-rewith a correspondingly curved surface of the clamping member so arranged that the elfective angle of the wedge is variable and is dependent upon the position ofthe wedge relatively to the axis-of the spindle; i

7 In a machine for performing pressureapplying operations, a post, a spindle mounted within the post, and means for reciprocating the spindle, the spindle having a collar near one of its ends, aishoe spaced from the collar, a sleeve operatively connected to the post and mounted upon the spindle ybetween the collarand the shoe, anda wedge extending between the sleeve and shoe for clamping the sleeve to the spindle. o

8. In ya press,'a spindle, a Vsleeve slidably mounted on the spindle, a collar on the spin- Y dle for limiting movement of the sleeve along the spindle in one direction, a bushing for limiting the movement ofthe sleeve in the other direction, means for forcing the bushing toward the collar comprising a member pivoted to the spindle, and a wedge insertable between said member and the bushing. i

9.y A clicking machine comprising a frame,

a Work-supporting bed, a post slidably mounted in the frame, a presser member secured to the post and arranged for movement laterally over the bed and movable toward and away from the bed, means for reciprocating the post comprising a spindle, a sleeve operatively connected to the post and mounted upon the spindle, a nut upon one end of the spindle, a shoe pivotally mounted upon the nut, anda Wedge insertable between the shoe and sleeve for securing the Vsleeve toy the spindle.

l0. In a clicking machine, a frame, a hollow post mounted for sliding movement in the frame, a spindle positioned Within the post, means for reciprocating the spindle, Y

a collar on the spindle, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the spindle and normally supported by the collar, the sleeve having a screw thread connection with the post, a shoe carried by the spindle, and a curved wedge positioned between the shoe and sleeve for preventing sliding movement of the sleeve relatively to the spindle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication. Y

MILTON H. BALLARD. 

